New guidance to help with health and safety

The Heath and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched new guidance to help make it easier for larger organisations and businesses to understand how to manage health and safety.

The completely refreshed and enhanced ‘Managing for Health and Safety’ guidance (also known as HSG65) is now available online at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/managing/

The guidance aims to help business leaders, owners, directors, trustees and line-managers and is split into four key sections:

Core elements of managing for health and safety

Are you doing what you need to?

Delivering effective arrangements

Resources

The improved information will also be of value to workers and their representatives and the third section will be of great help to those responsible for putting in place or overseeing their organisation’s arrangements for health and safety including health and safety practitioners and training providers.

The Managing for Health and Safety website is part of a suite of free guidance for businesses of all types and sizes. It is accompanied by Health and Safety Made Simple and Health and Safety Toolbox, which are primarily aimed at supporting the needs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). ‘Managing for Health and Safety’ provides targeted material suitable for larger organisations, although there is some information relevant to others.

Andrew Cottam, HSE’s lead author of ‘Managing for Health and Safety’ explained: "Each level of guidance on our website offers appropriately targeted information, focussed on making compliance as straightforward as possible.

"Following the guidance is not compulsory, unless specifically stated, and businesses are free to take other action, but if they do follow the guidance they will normally be doing enough to comply with the law. Health and safety inspectors seek to secure compliance with the law and may refer to this guidance."